3 Best Credit Repair Software (2023)

Bad credit means higher interest rates and a lack of access to many financial services. In most cases, improving your credit requires long-term tactics like consistent on-time payments and minimal debt balances. But about 15%¹² of consumers have a mistake on a credit report that they can quickly dispute to improve their score. This is the first step in credit repair.

Successfully disputing your credit report increases your worthiness and ultimately saves you money. Since credit repair software typically cost about the amount of a trip to the grocery store, it’s worth investigating. In this article, we look at the 3 best credit repair software (+ 8 providers we don’t recommend).

Here’s the short recommendation: if you’re hands-off, go with TheCreditPros. If you’re hands-on and have few erroneous credit items, go with Credit Repair Magic. If you’re hands-on AND have many items, go with DisputeBee.

Note that credit item disputes are relevant for only about 15% of people¹². Many software providers double as knowledge hubs and provide useful information about improving your credit score long-term, but keep in mind that the focus of software is on clarifying the process of disputes and streamlining it for you.

We rank and review each option based on price, refund/guarantee, ability to continually monitor, type of disputable accounts, user experience, letter drafting, reason & justification support, letter transmission, effort required, and the ideal number of negative and/or erroneous items for each platform.

Best Credit Repair Software

Here are my top picks for best credit repair software:

• Credit Repair Magic
• DisputeBee
• TheCreditPros

Credit Repair Magic

Best for Individuals

Price

At $97 and a one-time fee, Credit Repair Magic is the only option on our list that doesn’t require a subscription.

Refund/Guarantee

Credit Repair Magic has a 60-day money back guarantee.

Continued Monitoring

Because Credit Repair Magic is a do-it-yourself program, you are in charge of continued monitoring. You will have to get your credit report on your own and follow the program’s instructions on how to dispute erroneous claims. That said, once you purchase the program, you’ll have lifetime access.

Accounts Disputable

All accounts are disputable with Credit Repair Magic, and you’re in charge of choosing which ones.

User Experience

The user experience is very poor. The website and interface were built more than 10 years ago, and it shows. That said, the quality of the interface has little to do with its efficacy.

Letter & Reason Drafting

Credit Repair Magic provides template-style information so you know what to put in your letters and how to do so. And if you have any doubts, there are loads of well-written resources answering almost any question you have.

Letter Transmission

CreditRepairMagic does not send letters for you. In fact, it explains why doing so is not the best way to get your dispute recognized and accepted.

Ideal # of Negative and/or Erroneous Items

Credit Repair Magic is not designed to streamline high volumes of disputes. You will have to do each one by hand. Instead, the value is that the program explains with what frequency and format you should submit your disputes.

DisputeBee

Best for Debtors with Many Negative Items

Price

DisputeBee’s individual plan costs $39/month, but you can sign up and get immediate access to the platform to see how it works.

Refund/Guarantee

DisputeBee provides a 90-day refund (but Identity IQ subscription is non-refundable).

Continued Monitoring

Unlike Credit Repair Magic, DisputeBee is optimized for continued credit monitoring inside the program.

That said, you’ll have to create an account with Identity IQ, which charges $1 for seven days then $21.99 each month afterwards. You’re therefore on the hook for $22.99 minimum for the first month + 1 week and cannot cancel during the 7-day $1 period, but this isn’t SO expensive to get all three reports. FICO, for example, charges you $30 minimum (though it provides other services), which means Identity IQ is an inexpensive way to get your three credit reports, and the ONLY way allowed through DisputeBee.

In other words, the monthly cost to use DisputeBee and the necessary subscription to Identity IQ is $60.99. Identity IQ is non-refundable.

Accounts Disputable

DisputeBee focuses on credit accounts, bankruptcy (public record), inquiries, and ID Theft, but it supports all dispute types.

User Experience

DisputeBee’s user experience is best on our list. It boasts a modern interface that’s easy to use and intuitive.

Letter & Reason Drafting

DisputeBee pre-populates letters for you that you can modify to meet the details of your request, especially if you want to add more details.

Letter Transmission

DisputeBee does not send letters for you.

Ideal # of Negative and/or Erroneous Items

DisputeBee is ideal for handling a large volume of requests because its platform automates many of the steps you would otherwise have to do manually.

TheCreditPros

Best for Minimal Effort

Price

TheCreditPros has three tiers: Money Management, Prosperity, and Success Plus, whose prices you can see in this table:

Money Management	Prosperity	Success Plus
$69/month	$119/month	$149/month
$119 first work fee	$119 first work fee	$149 first work fee
$188 total to start	$238 total to start	$298 total to start

These figures make TheCreditPros the most expensive on our list, followed by Credit Repair Magic and then DisputeBee + Identity IQ.

Refund/Guarantee

TheCreditPros provides a 5-day refund and a 90-day money back guarantee, barring they have done little-to-no work.

Continued Monitoring

TheCreditPros continue to monitor your credit as long as you’re subscribed, making it the best low-effort, long-term solution on our list.

Accounts Disputable

All credit report items are disputable via TheCreditPros.

User Experience

Like DisputeBee, TheCreditPros is a modern platform with a strong user interface. It’s inferior to DisputeBee because it does not provide the same interface flexibility that you can actively control. The reason? TheCreditPro agents handle that work.

Letter & Reason Drafting

TheCreditPros draft letters and reasons for you based on discussion with you and evidence you provide.

Letter Transmission

TheCreditPros are the only software on our list that transmits letters on your behalf.

Ideal # of Negative and/or Erroneous Items

TheCreditPros is probably too pricey for anyone with less than 5 erroneous negative items on their credit report. That said, if you want someone to really hold your hand they’re still a good option. If you’re more independent, Credit Repair Magic would be a better choice.

Best for Home Buying

Recommendation: TheCreditPros

Many readers inquire about the best credit software for Home Buying. The reason for which you want to improve your credit bears little weight on the software you choose. That said, if you’re planning to buy a home then you probably don’t want to lose much time and have other things to think about, so I would recommend TheCreditPros for you.

Best for Veterans & Disables

Recommendation: evaluate your personal needs

Like homebuying, veteran and disability statuses bear little weight on the credit repair software you choose. The questions you should ask are how much effort you can put in, how much you’re willing to pay, and how many erroneous negative items you believe are on your credit report.

In short, if you’re hands-off, go with TheCreditPros. If you’re hands-on and have few items, go with Credit Repair Magic. If you’re hands-on and have many items, go with DisputeBee.

Free Credit Repair Software

Strictly speaking, there is no free credit repair software. But there are workarounds.

Once you’ve had a look at your credit report, identify how many (1) negative items and (2) erroneous items you have. If there are more than 5 and you don’t remember all the details, you may want to go with paid software to help you produce the dispute letters and reasons because it’s easy to underestimate the time required for each step.

Moreover, if you have serious mistakes then you’ll want to craft the dispute letter such that it doesn’t get flagged as “frivolous” by the credit bureaus’ computer screening technology.

A good litmus test is if you have less than 3-5 erroneous items and the details are simple, you can probably take care of it yourself by using the free online software available via the credit bureaus themselves, which you can see below.

If you go that route, make sure you bookmark ☆ this page in case you need to come back.

Access the TansUnion dispute center here (opens in new tab).
Access the Experian dispute center here (opens in new tab).
Access the Equifax dispute center here (opens in new tab).

Companies We’re Not Recommending

1. Lexington Law Credit Repair. Arguably the largest credit repair organization in the country, Lexington Law has come under fire by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. Moreover, Lexington Law is not a software solution.
2. Experian Credit Repair. Experian is one of the three credit bureaus and ultimately the opposition in a dispute. There seems to be a conflict of interest in using their program. Moreover, it is not a software solution like Credit Repair Magic and DisputeBee.
3. TransUnion Credit Repair. TransUnion is one of the three credit bureaus and ultimately the opposition in a dispute. There seems to be a conflict of interest in using their program. Moreover, it is not a software solution like Credit Repair Magic and DisputeBee.
4. CuraDebt. CuraDebt is a credit counseling service and not a software solution, so it is out of scope.
5. CreditFirm Credit Repair. CreditFirm is not primarily a software solution and is therefore out of scope.
6. The Credit People. Again, the Credit People is not a software solution but rather a service. It is out of scope.
7. Credit Saint. Though credit saint provides a nice dashboard software, it’s primarily a consultation service.
8. Identity IQ. If you go with DisputeBee (the most affordable on our list), you will have to get Identity IQ to integrate your credit reports. Independently, Identity IQ is not a software and is therefore out of scope.

Credit Repair Software Requirements

There are 9 requirements we recommend considering in your choice of a credit repair software.

Requirements for credit repair software:

• Price. $300 maximum, but expect to pay $60 minimum.
• Refund/Guarantee. You should always have a free trial and refund. Credit repair companies are required to provide you service before taking payment.
• Continued Monitoring. You can always view your free yearly credit report, but some subscription software should provide a way to regularly download your report and scan it for errors.
• Accounts Disputable. Software should be able to handle support on Accounts (credit cards, real estate loans and installment loans), Public Records such as bankruptcy, and Hard Inquiries (as part of loan application process).
• User Experience. While not always “pretty,” software should be navigable. When buttons are inaccessible and the layout runs off the page, walk away.
• Letter Drafting. All software should provide letter drafting services, including references to the applicable law and text relevant to the error under dispute.
• Reason Drafting. Software should explain items that must be corrected or updated–these are the only two options. Each software should provide a way for you to explain your complaint using examples and templates.
• Letter Transmission. Unless a human is behind the service, software should allow you to send dispute letters to the bureaus.
• Effort required. In general, software requires effort from your side because you’ll need to send your disputes. If a provider suggests you need minimal effort and there’s no human behind the service, walk away.
• Ideal # of Negative and/or Erroneous Items. If you have more than 5 erroneous negative items on your credit score, then you should consider software. That said, if you have more than 10, some software is better equipped to handle the volume. We’ll explain ideal size for each of the three software below.

Steps to Dispute a Credit Report Item with Software

If you’re looking for software then you’re probably curious about the whole credit dispute process. Here are illustrative steps to give you an idea what to expect:

1. Get a credit report. You can get 1 free per year via annualcreditreport.com. Beyond that we recommend going with myFICO (jumps to earlier point in article within a new tab).
2. Identify the number of (1) negative items and (2) erroneous information.
3. Identify which items are BOTH negative AND erroneous — these are your dispute priorities.
4. If you have these items, download the other two reports and repeat steps 1 – 3.
5. Prioritize your disputes based on the credit report weighted factors (jumps to earlier point in article within new tab).
6. Use the software of your choice from this article to craft the dispute narrative.
7. Ensure you use a common reason for the dispute as shown in the software (Credit Repair Magic is best for this).
8. Do NOT use the same reason for two or more disputes unless you’re sure it applies. Doing so would risk being flagged as frivolous.
9. Don’t use a common template that anyone can find–it will get scanned by the credit bureaus Automated Credit Dispute Verification (ACDV) and Automated Universal Dataform (AUD) system. This reduces your chances of getting it into human hands.
10. Send your letter to each credit bureau (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) by mail or online.
11. Wait 30 days for the response.
12. If you do not receive a response in 30 days, the credit bureau must remove the disputed item. Send a follow up letter citing the law (the citation will be provided by most software).

Credit Repair Best Practices

When you send a dispute letter yourself, there are some best practices:

• Don’t send more than 5 disputes every 30 days, or the credit bureaus may consider them frivolous.
• Always include a copy of your drivers license and a utility bill. Otherwise the bureaus may respond claiming they cannot correctly identify you, which will delay the issue.
• Use certified mail when sending your disputes so you can prove receipt from the recipient.
• Understand and communicate the precise reason for the dispute. Common examples include:
  • Incorrect identifying information
  • Closed accounts reported as open
  • Incorrect late or delinquent reports by a collection agency
  • Debts listed more than once
  • Incorrect dates of payments or delinquencies 
  • Incorrect balances
  • Incorrect credit limits
  • Listing information already corrected and/or removed
  • Accounts or charges due to identity theft

If you decide to go with a company, make sure to:

• Avoid service providers who require up-front payment.
• Ensure you have a contract with a description of services.
• Avoid making decision over the phone — see them in person.
• Get a list of your rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act; if they don’t provide this, walk away.

Know the Background of Credit Repair Acts

In the 1990s, US Congress recognized a need to protect consumers from so-called “credit repair companies” and their potential high-pressure sales tactics, so it laid out legal ground rules in the Credit Repair Organizations Act. These include the prohibition of payments before service (up-front costs) and the obligation to have a description of services and contract³.

Twenty years earlier, Congress had passed the Fair Credit Reporting Act, giving you two critical rights:

• to know what’s in your credit report (for a fee), and
• to dispute erroneous information.

Together, these Acts created a lasting marketplace for credit repair companies. The question is, why would you risk paying someone else to send dispute letters on your behalf when DIY software is readily available?

With only a 15% chance it helps and the risk that credit bureaus ignore requests from credit repair agencies, learning the process and filing the dispute yourself seem like a better path. In addition to helping you dispute claims, credit repair software often continue to monitor your file to prevent future mistakes.

Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act

• You have the right to receive a copy of your credit report. The copy of your report must contain all of the information in your file at the time of your request.
• You have the right to know the name of anyone who received your credit report in the last year for most purposes or in the last two years for employment purposes.
• Any company that denies your application must supply the name and address of the credit bureau they contacted, provided the denial was based on information given by the credit bureau.
• You have the right to a free copy of your credit report when your application is denied because of information supplied by the credit bureau. Your request must be made within 60 days of receiving your denial notice.
• If you contest the completeness or accuracy of information in your report, you should file a dispute with the credit bureau and with the company that furnished the information to the bureau. Both the credit bureau and the furnisher of information are legally obligated to investigate your dispute.
• You have a right to add a summary explanation to your credit report if your dispute is not resolved to your satisfaction.

FAQ

List of Frequently Asked Questions

What is credit repair?

Credit repair consists of disputing erroneous, negative items found on a consumer’s credit report, as well as steps to improve a consumer’s credit score with techniques based on the 5 credit score weighted factors: payment history (35%), amount of debt (30%), length of credit history (15%), amount of new credit (10%), and credit mix (10%).

Why do credit repair yourself?

Perhaps the two best reasons to do credit repair yourself are (1) you will learn about credit and how to manage it, and (2) you will save money in the mid- and long-term.

How much does credit repair cost?

Credit repair software should not cost more than $300 in an initial phase, though continued subscriptions may drive up the price. Credit repair organizations (that do the work for you), typically cost several hundred dollars in an initial phase but will continue to grow as the organization continues working.

Is paying someone to fix your credit worth it?

Everyone should take responsibility for their credit. Paying a company does not change the chances that disputes will succeed; however, it can save you time and stress. We recommend TheCreditPros if you don’t want to do the work yourself.

How can I fix my credit immediately?

There is no way to immediately fix your credit. However, if you have erroneous negative items on your credit report then you can dispute them and improve your credit score in as little as 30 days.

Does credit repair hurt your credit score?

By definition, credit repair aims to improve your credit report and score–not harm it. For example, filing a dispute does not affect your credit score. However, if you dispute an item and it becomes correctly verified, your score could take a dip.

Moreover, if you use an aggressive tactic like taking a loan that you miss payments on, this will not be a form of repair and will hurt your score.

1. CFPB [↩] [↩]
2. FTC [↩] [↩]
3. Fair Credit Report Act [↩]